SCIENCE 



Editoeial Committee : S. Newcomb, Mathematics ; E. S. Woodward, Mechanics ; E. C. Pickeeing, 



Astronomy; T. C. Mendenhall, Physics ; R. H. Thueston, Engineering; Iea Eemsen, Chemistry; 



J. Le Conte, Geology; W. M. Davis, Physiography; 0. C. Maesh, Paleontology; W. K. Beooks, 



C. Haet Meeeiam, Zoology; S. H. Scuddee, Entomology; C. E. Bessby, N. L. Beitton, 



Botany; Heney F. Osboen, General Biology; C. S. Minot, Embryology, Histology; 



H. P. Bowditch, Physiology; J. S. Billings, Hygiene ; J. McKeen Cattell, 



Psychology; Daniel G. Bbinton, J. W. Powell, Anthropology. 



Friday, September 9, 1898. 



CONTENTS: 

 ■Color-Vision: Peofessoe Feank P. "Whitman. ..305 



A Half Ceniury of Evolution, with Special Reference 

 to the Effects of Geological Changes on Animal 

 Life {III.): Peofessoe Alphbus S. Paokaed..316 



Seports of Committees of the American Association for 

 the Advancement of Science: — 

 Sixteenth Annual Beport of the, Committee on Index- 

 ing Chemical Literature : De. H. Caeeington 



Bolton, Chairman 323 



Meport of the Committee on Standards of 3Ieasure- 

 ment : PROFESSOR HENRY S. CARHAET, Secee- 

 TARY 326 



■Owrrent Notes on Anthropology : — 



Initiation Ceremonies in Australia; The Tarascan 

 Language; Anthropological Pessimsm : Professor 

 D. G. Beinton 328 



Notes on Inorganic Chemistry: J. L. H 328 



Scientific Notes and News : — 



Color-Vision: C. L. F. Experiments with Kites at 

 Blue Hill Observatory; The Prevention of Con- 

 gumption; General 329 



University and Educational News 334 



Discussion and Correspondence : — 

 Basil Valentine: Peofessoe T. D. A. Cock- 

 eeell 335 



■Bdeniific Literature : — 



Seward's Fossil Plants for Students of Botany and 

 Geology : PEOFESSOE Lestee F. Waed 335 



Scientific Journals 340 



New Books 340 



MSS. intended for publication and books, etc., intended 

 for review abould be sent to the responsible editor, Profes, 

 flor J. JIcKeen Cattell, Garrison-oo-Hudsou, N. Y. 



COLOR-VISION* 



The domain of physiological optics, for- 

 merly much frequented by students of 

 physics, has of late been administered 

 chiefly by psychologists. So far is this true 

 that I have hesitated in preparing an ad- 

 dress upon a subject in this realm, lest I 

 should be accused of passing entirely beyond 

 that borderland which lies between us and 

 our sister science, of trespassing in a foreign 

 country, and risking international compli- 

 cations. Yet a subject which has owed its 

 development to Newton and Young, Max- 

 well and Helmholtz, to mention no other 

 names, can hardly be out of place here. 

 The methods of investigation are largely 

 those of the physicist, the phenomena at- 

 tend every optical research, the results are 

 of frequent physical application. Within 

 the past few years, however, most of the 

 work on color-vision has been done by other 

 hands, and the results have not appeared 

 in the physical journals. It seemed worth 

 while, therefore, to review briefly the 

 progress of scientific theory in this direc- 

 tion, and to sum up, so far as possible, the 

 present state of our knowledge. 



For our purpose we must go back as far 

 as Sir Isaac Newton, to whom we owe the 

 first definite and intelligible hypothesis as 

 to the nature of color-vision. 



*Ad(iress of the Vice-President before Section B — 

 Physics — of the American Association for the Ad- 

 vancement of Science, August, 1898. 



